>> Friday, May 20, 2016

ITOGON, Benguet – The management of Benguet
Corporation formally turned over to 46 residents, affected by the sudden
subsidence in Camanggaan, Virac here more than 11 hectares of its mining claims
within the company’s timberyard for their permanent relocation site.

Lawyer Froilan Roger
C. Lawilao, BC administration department head, said the turnover last week was
part of its corporate social responsibility in ensuring safety of people living
in communities of their working areas in the municipality.

“We
have to sustain our commitment for the safety of the villages living within our
working areas as part of a responsible mining company. We have to go out of our
way to ensure that the individuals who were affected by the subsidence in
Camanggaan will have a safer place to stay,” Lawilao said.

Sometime
last year, a natural land subsidence occurred in sitio Camanggaan, Virac at the
height of continuous heavy rains that resulted to displacement of some 46
residents who built their houses in the area.

Experts
from various government agencies and the local government conducted a study on
the real cause of the subsidence and official findings concluded that the
fractured soil and rock formation that weathered through the years aggravated
by the huge volume of water caused by the continuous heavy rains caused the
subsidence.

Lawilao
said even without conclusive findings pointing to the company’s mining
operations as the culprit behind the sudden subsidence, the company decided to
identify the 11.6-hectare area within its timberyard and extracted the same
from its mining claims to be issued as permanent relocation site for the
displaced residents as part of its continuing commitment for the general
welfare of the people living within its mining operations.

He
assured municipal and barangay officials who were present during turnover
ceremonies of the land to the beneficiaries and concerned local officials that
the company will continue to find ways and means on how to extend further
assistance to them for the development of the property and the eventual
establishment of a community in the area in the future.

Mayor
Victorio Palangdan said the municipal government will look into allowable means
on how to extend possible assistance to the displaced residents and undertakes
the responsibility for the immediate subdivision and development of the place
where they will be permanently located so that they will not be exposed to
extreme danger during the occurrence of natural and man-made calamities.

Lawilao
said the company will continue to closely work with barangay and municipal
officials as well as local residents living in their mining sites in order to
sustain the promotion of responsible mining among the various small-scale
mining associations for the preservation and protection of the environment.